Ecclesiastes, 10

1. Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: [so doth] a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom [and] honour.

1. As dead flies spoil a jar of perfumed oil, a little folly weighs heavier than wisdom and honor.

2. A wise man's heart [is] at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

2. The heart of the wise man leads him to the right, the heart of the fool leads him to the left.

3. Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth [him], and he saith to every one [that] he [is] a fool.

3. When the fool is on the road, he goes the wrong way and to all he meets he says, "There goes another fool."

4. If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

4. If the ruler gets angry with you, do not stir, for composure prevents many grave mistakes.

5. There is an evil [which] I have seen under the sun, as an error [which] proceedeth from the ruler:

5. An evil I discovered under the sun, an error of rulers:

6. Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

6. folly is exalted to the heights while rich men take the lowest places.

7. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

7. I have seen slaves riding on horses, princes going on foot like slaves.

8. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

8. He who digs a pit may fall into it and he who pierces a wall may be bitten by a serpent;

9. Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; [and] he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

9. he who quarries stones may be hurt by them and he who splits logs may be wounded;

10. If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom [is] profitable to direct.

10. if the axe is blunt and the edge not sharpened, you must strike stronger blows, in all this gain with wisdom.

11. Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

11. But if the serpent doesn't allow itself to be charmed and bites, what did the charmer gain?

12. The words of a wise man's mouth [are] gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

12. The words from the lips of a wise man are gracious but the lips of a fool bring about his own ruin.

13. The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness: and the end of his talk [is] mischievous madness.

13. Folly marks the beginning of his speech and pure madness, the end.

14. A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

14. Let him multiply his words! (Man does not know what will happen and who will let him know what comes after him?)

15. The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

15. Any work wearies the fool; he doesn't even know the way to go to town.

16. Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

16. Alas for you, O land! if your ruler is a young man whose princes feast in the morning.

17. Blessed [art] thou, O land, when thy king [is] the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

17. Happy the land where the king is nobly born and where the princes eat at appropriate times, as fitting to men, rather than being drunk.

18. By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

18. Laziness in man causes a ceiling to sag and because of a man's slackness a house leaks.

19. A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all [things].

19. Man prepares a meal for pleasure; wine gives cheer to life while money is the answer to everything.

20. Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

20. Even in your mind do not curse the king and in your bedroom do not curse the rich, for the birds of the air may tell what you say and winged carriers will make it known.